Hammocks

[TheDonUK]

So i have seen Hennesy Hammocks

https://hennessyhammock.com/catalogue.html

Only ever been in a hammock once at a new age festival, it was one of those big south american ones, so comfortable.

Does anyone have experience of wild hammock camping?

The Expedition ASYM looks to be about 100 squids, considering forking out for one and maybe taking a trip to wales or scotland.

Being a complete novice, will finding trees/anchor points be an issue?

The idea of hammock camping is much more appealing to me than a tent.

Any comments, advice or experience to share would be welcomed.

Cheers.
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[Current Bikes - GSXR-750 K5 & C90-97 ] [Previous Bikes: Runner 125, YBR 125, GS500, Bandit 600, Hornet 600, ZX6R-99, C90-99, R1-99, XT600E-04, GSXR-750 K4, CRF250L '16]

[doggone]

I wouldn't like to be finding a suitable spot every day if touring about.
How many attachment points will it need with the rain cover thing on too?

[TheDonUK]

Just the two, aparently. The tarp lines can be attached to the same trees used for support, and then there is two kind of guy lines which are not required but when set into the ground or trees to the left/right expand it out.

I dont nesessarily intend to use it for a weeks tour to spain/italy for instance, more a oneday getaway from london. Ride as far away as i can (Im thinking North Wales comfortably). hopefully find somewhere picturesque with the requisite two trees slightly off the beaten track, spend the night with a fat spliff and whatnot then head home the next day or onwards as the mood takes me.

As i say i have never used one before just going by a bunch of helpfull videos on youtube and whatnot, but the hammock seems to eliminate the negatives i associate with tent camping, fear of a bad pitch site reccie and sleeping on an ants nest or somesuch, plus if various sources are to be believed it might be more comfy than my rubbish bed...

For my first bash at it i would try and pick a few days of neigh guaranteed dryness (as much as one can in the UK) and possibly set up the tarp but leave it in its snakeskin (kind of like a sheath which makes it not much wider than a rope) for the sleeping under the stars effect.

Im probably going to do it regardless as soon as i have 100 quid to spend on a non-essential, just hoping theres a secret bike-hammock camper here that can give advice, i will search but as im here good recommendations for wild campings spots around north wales, or anywhere that this idea might be nice would be appreciated..
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[Current Bikes - GSXR-750 K5 & C90-97 ] [Previous Bikes: Runner 125, YBR 125, GS500, Bandit 600, Hornet 600, ZX6R-99, C90-99, R1-99, XT600E-04, GSXR-750 K4, CRF250L '16]

[Clanger]

Great idea, space saving and everything, but what if you don't find two sturdy trees within the correct distance? A sleepless night will be in order...!
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[Itchy]

[Peirre oBollox]

A good source of info for all things Hammock can be found on:
https://www.hammockforums.net/
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[Tonka]

Very interesting and not something I had considered, but will now! Loads of really good info on how to find ideal sites/set-up and improvising when no suitable trees!

I used a 'basher' arrangement on my last trip away and need to buy a new fly sheet/tarp as I had borrowed the one I used. Buying one of these means that the hammock is the preferred and most comfortable option for when there are suitable uprights and when there are none, I can use the fly sheet as I'd previously done anyway, so win, win!!
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[Roos]

I've spoken to a few guys in the States who have used these and they really rate them.

Convenient to stow - easy up and down. Not too good on most UK camp sites though - better in the wilderness.

Good luck.
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[Gazz]

Maybe I am just a big girl... but I would always be afraid that something would fall out of the tree onto the top of me; or crawl down the tree and join me in the hammock in the middle of the night.


My vote is for the sensible option of a tent.

[Peirre oBollox]

A quick search shows them on sale in the UK
https://www.ecamo.co.uk/hennessy-hammock-1.html
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[king756]

Also check out https://www.ddhammocks.com/ , uk based.

Hammocks are supposed to be really comfy etc, I think the problem is in the uk is finding a suitable spot, especially if you are up in the hills.

I use a Eastern European army bivi bag, cost £50 from https://www.endicotts.co.uk/ . Put sleeping bag inside bivi bag, roll up and put in a dry bag tied to the back of the bike. When you stop just unroll the bivi, inflate and pop in a thermrest. If i had a small snugpack sleeping bag everything would fit in the panniers.

https://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa263/king756/Wales%20Camping/33503_10150225638245517_866825516_13713389_1246895_n.jpg

The weather was ok on that trip, I have a DD tarp and a Telescopic Bivi pole from https://www.rvops.co.uk/bivi-basha-pole-955.html so can quickly do the below setup if it's raining or bad weather (not my picture but a nice setup):

https://cache.backpackinglight.com/backpackinglight/user_uploads/1236182852_10709.jpg

Just pulling up, unrolling a bivi and sleeping under the stars is awsome. If it's raining a tarp certainly helps although if you are hardcode you just sleep on your side with the bivi hood over you're head.
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[colin1]

Hammock camping will be much colder than using a tent, so not ideal for anything other than summer.
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[Tonka]

[doggone]

The ground can be several degrees colder than 3 or 4 feet in the air, but if it was windy you must lose more heat surely?
The pictures do make it look more feasible than I expected for wild camping anyway.

For a couple of nights if weather is set fair you can get away with just a sleeping bag on it's own, maybe some plastic sheet just in case.

[Grazoid]

They do insulation and weather covers for some of the Yank ones... but for me the question as always is what do you do with your bike gear.

I don't sleep in my boots and lid, and usually don't wear much more than a base layer in a sleeping bag as it is warmer to have air around you than clothing that is damp with perspiration. I usually use a silk liner when it gets cold... less is more for retaining warmth.

So what do you do with your clothing and bike gear?
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[tatters]

[Grazoid]

[Tonka]

My experience was trail/offroad riding, so maybe not as applicable to road riding I'll admit.

All outside/wet kit off and into a dry sack, as Tatters said. Boots and helmet tucked under the tarp and it looks like this is more than feasible with this arrangement, as the top piece overlaps the hammock. If the lid got damp/dewy overnight I was oblivious once I'd emerged back into the pouring rain in the morning. My underclothes were dry, but my top layer was wet and gonna get even wetter given that it poured with rain constantly, so I didn't care too much about that either. Boots were soaked and not going to dry out in a week, let alone over night, so on with the neoprene socks and off for another day!

We were so soaked through, that having wet kit in a tent trying to dry it out would have been a nightmare anyway. It would have been more likely that the few dry things we did have would have got wet too, as for breathing in all the sweaty damp air

The winter camping arrangement advertised on the website has a thermal layer to protect from the exposure of an elevated hammock and I think it maybe a similar thing to the mosiquito protection - don't want them biting your bum through the hammock, eh?
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'The core of a man's spirit comes from new experiences'
Suzuki SV650S (Clean); Yamaha XT250 Serow (Dirty)

[Grazoid]

It does depend on the tent and the kit.

As a lot of the time I will need this type of shelter is on the way to an area, as in overnight stops and then generally at altitude.

Bashas and shelters in general are an emergency fix. If you find yourself in cloud all sleeping gear will be soaked in seconds unless it's in a bivvy bag.

Now my experience of bivvy bags is to get the sack out of them ASAP and dried off otherwise within two days you start growing mould... goretex only works when you have convection. Stick goretex kit in a cold place and it stays cold and wet. That can be a killer even in the summer in the mountains.

In recent years , since scoring a Vaude Mk II ex display model at a huge discount, I have found best option is to keep dry kit in dry bags and wet/dirty kit in mesh bags to let it "breathe" and keep it separated in the panniers.

The Vaude has the advantage of weighing feck all - but has a bit of bulk. However it has fantastic ventilation, two bell ends and even has hanging cord along the ridge. A pair of Bridgedales' dries over night in the air flow.

We have spent a night in a thunderstorm where we had to cook and dry bike kit in it at 2000m plus... woke the next morning and most gear had dried to a wearable point and minimal condensation in the tent. Important thing was even with heavy driving rain we had no gear in the tent wetter than when we took it off.

There are some expensive stuff sacks out there with eVent panels that would be okay , but they still need a higher than ambient air temperature heat source to make sure that the moisture starts to evaporate away from the kit and not just soak into it. You would possibly need to have it in bed with you.

Okay when space and weight is at a premium it is worth looking at , but after sleeping under tarps and poncho bashas as a kid out of necessity and now having the luxury of owning decent lightweight tents, I am sticking with a tent
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Gaffer Tape is like The Force.

It has a dark side and a light side and holds the Universe together!

[Roos]

[Grazoid]

[stinkwheel]

You tend to loose heat through the bottom of them and wake up with a cold arse. As such, something underneath you is handy.

I bung my uninflated thermarest in mine if it's getting chilly and lie on top of it.

You can put your gear under the basher and/or in a dry bag.

Don't hang it too high. It makes them difficult to get into and if it's low enough, you can reach over the side for your bits of kit/beer/torch/book without having to get out.

Here's my setup. Army issue basher, parachute nylon scout hammock. Got the basher full and low because it was raining on and off.
https://www.bikechatforums.com/download.php?id=74993
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[palace15]

I have a Hammock (DD) and the main thing is to learn how to put it up properly before you set off for a trip, what takes half an hour on a nice sunny summer evening will take 2 hours in the dark and cold!!!